Joint Base Lewis-McChord Directorate of Emergency Services Tramples the First Amendment

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Directorate of Emergency Services (JBLM DES) continues to suppress free speech and violate the First Amendment Rights of the American people. JBLM Cop Watch reached out to a civilian community member who had requested that the JBLM Provost Marshal comment on allegations of malfeasance and misconduct by JBLM Police. The Provost Marshal had announced that he was holding a Facebook Live "Town Hall Meeting", and requested that individuals post their questions in the comments. After the community member posted his question to the Facebook comments section, his question was deleted and the JBLM DES immediately retaliated against him by blocking him from accessing the JBLM Emergency Service Facebook page.

JBLM Cop Watch also reached out to our members and friends in the JBLM DES and requested their input on this issue. We are told that the JBLM DES 'Social Media Manager' stated that he didn't give a damn about First Amendment rights or free speech for anyone who questioned the government. This is very concerning, and just one more example of the culture of corruption and abuse that exists in the JBLM DES.

The courts have repeatedly held that "Allowing a government actor to ban critics from speaking in public forums would silence and chill dissent, warp the public conversation, and skew public perception. And enabling government actors to block critics from petitioning them for services or seeing public information would mean punishing them for speaking out or holding critical views."

The community member rather than being intimidated into silence by the JBLM DES, has himself taken to social media to expose JBLM DES corruption and the threat that a few corrupt individuals in the DES leadership pose to the community. JBLM Cop Watch strongly supports this individual and encourages everyone to exercise their rights and freedoms.

If you have a Facebook account, perhaps you will want to express your concerns to the JBLM DES about their disregard of our First Amendment Rights? https://www.facebook.com/JBLMdes

"Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech; which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know.... Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech, a thing terrible to traitors." (Benjamin Franklin)